Fareed Zakaria speaks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about his statements on Israel, his country's nuclear program, and what he thinks about U.S. warnings. To watch the full interview, tune into GPS this Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET.
You have indicated that you think that the Israeli prime minister's threats toward Iran are ones you don't take very seriously. But I was wondering how seriously you take the rhetoric of the president of the United States. President Obama said at the United Nations that he was determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Do you regard that as a bluff?
You set forth two or three questions here. I have never used the word bluff. When we say we do not take it seriously, we mean that it impacts – it does not impact our policies in the slightest.
Iran is a vast country. It's a great country. Let's assume a few terrorists come and assassinate some of our officials. Will the country be damaged? No. A couple of bombs will be set to explode. Will the country be destroyed? No.
We see the Zionist regime at the same level of the bombers and criminals and the terrorists. And even if they do something – and even if they do something, hypothetically, it will not affect us fundamentally.
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Silence! I keeel yooo!
I will snout ya !
This is a great man, so humble and so serious. Western politicians may learn a lot from this great president of a great nation. He will not waste his words and time to answer the hungry and angry wolves...Ahmadinajad will probably drag them into the vast land of modern Persia. Does anybody in the forum know why Persia is the ONLY LAND on this planet which borders were never redrawn for the last 3,000 years since it was created? I dare anybody to give the correct answer. Those who know why will understand where this great man come from and what happened in Iran in 1979. All those who put their LOL in the air are just ignorant and scared because Persia is rising again. Go-head LOL as much as you can: Ahmadinajad is also laughing loud at your ignorance.
How about an: OK?
Ahmandenijad is as wacky as any other president anywhere in the world. All major politicians are nuts and egocentric.
Oh if only I could "LOL" as you put it. No, I think I will shake my head and feel sad for you instead. To immediately condemn anyone who responds outside of what you agree with is a frightening way to go about interacting with the world around you. You claim this leader is humble and serious, I would hope you take a lesson from what you see in him and learn a little humility in your own words.
Sir, are you serious!? A blood thirsty, mad opportunist like Ahmadinejad!? You call him a great man? Are you druged? or have you been paid by the mullahs lobby in the states to write something like this? Or perhaps you are one of the regimes tag living in the states, working under the false id and name!?
And in answer to your statement about Persia. I am Persian myself! My native lands border have been redrawed many times throughout the past 3000 years! Most recently in Gajar dynasty cirka 100-150 years ago! WE lost the Caucasia to the Russians! So go google your facts and then open your mouth, you retard!
I am assuming you live in Iran right? I really hope you are not living in this great country called USA !! Im tired of listening to this kind of garbage from people who hate this country but are here taking advantage of it....
I suspect all the bahai's persecuted in iran will have a very different opinion.You need to to get out more.
The U.S. and Israel aren't concerned with "re-drawing" the borders of of Iran pal... Only looking to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program, which if the POTUS gives the green light to the U.S. military, it will be halted/delayed by 3-4 years inside 24 hours. Doen't really matter if Iran can "re-start" their program, the U.S. simply comes back in 3-4 years and Iran "takes it " again. They can't stop/defend against it, maybe they'll learn to give up after they're hit 2-3 times over the next 10 years...the U.S. military will say "LOTS more where that came from"...we've got PLENTY of munitions to do the job.
Ha! Ha! Persia Rising! Dude, we already invented that can opener.
You're a TROLL.
A great man hahahaahahahahahaha funniest sh!t I've heard all year. He is a merely a puppet of Iran's religious leaders and I think the majority of the literate world would think the opinon of one Jeff Dunham's puppets has more sway in the world. Man your parents really dropped the ball when the raised you, shame on your parents Adam.
Oh ya Persia is rising lol, are you serious? More like it will be razed when Israel has enough of their peaceful nuclear program which has already enriched uranium well past what they need for medical use. Then when they try to retaliate the West will turn Persia to glass, they talk tough but when push comes to shove they are nothing but spineless religious nuts.
Ahmadinejad is extremely Machiavellian. Perhaps there would be more peace in the region, when he steps down next year. Netanyahu would have a reason less to worry.
As if ahmadijihad is the only one in Iran who hates the jews!
No, he said in the interview that he was against "Zionism". He had touted in an earlier interview that he were friends of the Israeli people.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
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People do not hate jews but the "killer jews".
Tahir are killer jews like killer bees??please explain what are killer jews??
He has no problem with Jews if they dont live in Israel. The issue he has with Z-ism is that it promotes/protects the nation of Israel. To say hes against Z-ism but not the jewish people is a smokescreen.
For the record I would like to see the IRI government fall, Ahmadinejad to be out of power, and the country become a stable democracy, but passing on bad information that is inflammatory is wrong and leads only to further hatred. Oh Isaac, Iran is the oldest continuous home of the Jews going back 3000 years. There has never been a country or civilization that took care of the Jews and provided them with safety, security, and respect like Iran. No other country. Europe destroyed the Jews. British empire forcefully converted them, killed them, exiled them . The Greeks forbid the Jews from practicing (outlawing it under Antiochus V) and crushed them militarily, Romans destroyed the Jews, took them finally completely out of Palestine/Israel. The list is endless. Under Iran, the Jews were finally freed from slavery, their temple treasures given back to them and financially supported by generations of Persian kings who paid for the rebuilding and maintenance of their second temple. The Torah (Old Testament) was written by Jewish citizens of the Persian Empire because they had stability and freedom to practice. Until the modern state of Israel it had the largest population of Jews in that part of the world. Why because they hated Jews there? Seriously? When Islam came to Iran they were protected as Peoples of the Book (as were Zoroastrians). The Ayatollah Khomeini made it clear during the Islamic Revolution of Iran that Jews "are to be protected". More than 20 open synagogues in Teheran alone. Largest donation by Ahmadinejad was to a Jewish hospital. He even recently said he would have no problem with a Jewish person marrying into his family (Piers Morgan). When asked what he thought of Jews, he didn't insult them or say they were infidels, he used the word "We love the Jews...they are an important part of Iranian history." I am afraid the Hitler analogies don't work well. Why aren't the Jews in Iran being rounded up and their synagogues closed? Why aren't people attacking their homes or businesses? Why do Iranian Jews speak fondly of Iran? They have the largest representation proportionately in the Iranian parliament (Majlis). Ahmadinejad is a loose canon and hasn't been good for Iran. He says disrespectful things about Israel and Jewish history (e.g., holocaust was exaggerated to create Israel), but he never threatened to harm Jewish people (or attack Israel believe it or not). He doesn't have power to dictate military action. He NEVER NEVER said that he wanted Israel "wiped off the map". That was an inflammatory paraphrase by the NYT and has since been repeated over and over again by the media (and bloggers). If you repeat it enough, people think it is true. His speeches can all be found translated on the web (even on his own website). What he said (pay attention this is important) after discussing the fall of the USSR and Saddam Hussein, was "So to in our time will the [Zionist] occupying regime in Qods (Jerusalem) pass from the pages of time." Call it falling of the regime or regime change, or call it a wish to move Israel to another place, but it was never to harm those people. Only USA and Israel have actually threatened to use military force. We say regime change all the time. We take out governments completely and fund violent groups all over the middle east to suit our needs (often to get the oil cheap). We support oppressive Saudi Arabia whose population despises Israel (unlike Iranians). Say what you will about the theocracy there, but don't say Iran is anti-Semitic and that they hate Jews which is what you were implying. There has never in history been a friend to Jewish people like Iran. Be at least grateful and respectful to Iran for that.
It wouldn't surprise me that China and Russia regret Ahmadinejad's stepping down. They would love to have him around and be a thorn in the West's side.
OR they think of him as the idiot who buys all their ideas and tries them out.
As dingbatjihad gets into trouble, they scratch that one of their lists.
When Iraq invades you, invade them right back and see what happens, they say.
Yeah, they are going to miss him.
lol
If you had been paying attention you would know that he is probably the least likely leader in Iran to cause us trouble. Whoever khomeni picks to replace Ahmadinejad will almost certainly be worse, not better.
j. von hettlingen – you are sorely out of touch with reality. travelled abroad much have you (I already know the answer to that)? Ahmadinejad is not a friend of any Jew, Israeli, Christian, nor Western nation except those who will suck up to Iran.
Hettlingen: The real power lies with Khameini. Iran's views and policies will not be affected by Ahmadinejad leaving power. This is a theocracy run by clerics, not civilians
Somehow I beleive that the vast majority of Iranians do not want to be killed in the war against the Jews. Some of their leaders, however, are willing to sacrifice half of their own population in order to destroy Israel. This is, probably, true for the Arabs as well. It's unfortunate but the militant leaders can and do start wars and then millions of their compatriots pay the price.
I hope very much that Ahmadinejad's successor will be willing to dissolve the Iranian nuclear weapons program while saving the face of this great country.
Obama and even "Bibi" have admitted that Iran is Not building a bomb at this time. So why is everyone saying Iran is building a nuclear bomb. They are not. The problem is that when any country has a nuclear program for civilian use....it also has the ability to make a bomb.
The IAEA inspects the seals on "all" the processed fuel. If one tiny drop goes missing then the IAEA would imediately know about it. It doesn;t need to inspect any other buildings and has no right to inspect other buildings because no country in the world ever allow inspections of work being carried out for national security purposes.(Iran might be building better tanks or ships for example and need to keep it secret.They couldn;t possibly allow inspections everywhere and that is why the IAEA agreed to a set of rules to keep track of key issues such as every drop of processed fuel)
The accounting for every drop of processed fuel is the only true red line. This is why the world created the IAEA.
The west has come off it's hinges and has fallen into the same stupid path as what happened in Iraq and we will all pay a heavy price for that mistake. Obama has failed us all. I believe that Romney would do worse.
The reason everyone thinks Iran is building a bomb is because Zionist media such as CNN keep drilling the idea into peoples heads. It's like the coward in school who keeps daring one guy to have a fight against another uy. They like to start trouble and then just sit there and watch as the two guys go at it. The same is true with 90% of all the American media. Thwy want to start a fight.
My understanding is that the IAEA is no longer permitted in Iran. Correct me if I'm wrong.
sanjosemike
Well aren't you a wellspring of optimism.
Wrong, He said they are not at the piont where they can build one. They dont have the trigger mechanism worked out.
its hard to imagine how you can just make up "facts" for your posts like "obama and netenyahu know that iran is not making a bomb"! how could they know that? because iran and nuts like you say so? do you think that outside of your friendly neighborhood islamists anyone reading your posts gives them any credibility after you post such absurdities? better reload the hookah!
@sanjosemike yea you're wrong. The IAEA may not get access to everything they want, but they arent being shut out of Iran either.
You sir make a good point the world is looking at this the wrong way.
This is one of the most ignorant postings I've read. Did you bother to watch Netanyahu's speech? Idi0t. Even with the visual aids designed for fools like you - hey, maybe you could get a job at the U.N. Obama has sold EVERYONE in this country down the river. I hope Romney whips his sorry a$$ on Weds, and I hope you get your GED and go to college.
I think Fareed Zakaria is really a very good journalist. I also watched the interview Ahmadinedjan/Piers Morgan. And I like Fareed's way of asking very intelligent direct questions.
Let me ask ""thinker 23"" if he thinks some countries should have a right to have nuclear weapons( Pakistan, India, Israel the USA etc...and others should not....
Thank you for asking the question. Allow me to answer it for you.
The denuclearization of South Asia (Subcontinent) particularly India is imperative.
Quid pro quo transfer of nuclear technology by USA to third world countries such as India needs to be opposed on moral grounds. Billions of people live in that neighborhood and would be at risk from such catastrophes which I am sure the American people would not like to be a party to. We are all well aware that that region is prone to floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, massive power blackouts and of course terrorism placing such nuclear installations at tremendous risks. US Congress is urged to reconsider and cancel all the agreements for the transfer of such technologies due “Force Majeure”.
It is common knowledge that some of India’s nukes were hijacked during the recent massive power blackout in the country by the extremists. It is also a matter of great concern that the safety of India’s nuclear installations is questionable as identified by its nuclear audit agency CAG. This poses a grave danger to India’s population and its neighbors. Let us keep in perspective that over 3 (Three) Billion people live within the region close to more than half the world’s population !!!
Joelle or Fatima, whatever your real name, if a country wants nuclear weapons to "wipe" another country's citizens from the map, then they should not have those weapons.
Is this simple enough for YOU to understand?
You are absolutely correct... Israel, Pakistan and India shouldn't have nuclear weapons... actually no one should...
glmason
Yes you are absolutely right, Iran cannot be trusted with nuclear power of any kind.
Well said!
Mr Muhammad
The country USA who has already used its nuclear weapons can be trusted.
Dear Muhammad Iran doesn't need a nuclear bomb to wipe Israel off the map. Iran has chemical and biological weapons capable of destroying nations even 3 times the size of Israel. If persians wanted to harm the Jewish people they would have done it long time ago at the time of Cyrus the great, but they don't and they didn't. Even if the religious hardliner and dictators who rule over Iran have a desire to bomb Israel, in case they do that U.S will turn Iran upside down and inside out by their fighter jets.
Well we better turn in all of our nuclear weapons then Muhammad because to date it is only U.S. government that has used nuclear weapons in a time of war. Don't think we will be turning in our nuc's anytime soon however, do you?
DID HE ASK FOR AN EXPLANATION ON THE BRUTAL PERSECUTION OF THE BAHAI'S???
Joelle, yes in fact. Some countries should have weapons that others most definitely should NOT. Tell me, would you prefer to see criminals in your home town armed with the same weapons and technology as the police in the name of equality and fairness? How about giving the Taliban the same weapons as our military to ensure the conflict is waged fairly? Your "logic" that aggressive rogue regimes who have demonstrated time and again their willingness to murder innocent people deserve to be armed to the teeth because those trying to defend against these barbarians have more weapons just makes no sense.
What Ahmadinejad preaches has already been practiced by Indian hindus decades ago! No wonder India is stabbing Americans in the back in Iran and doubledealing.
There is a prevailing culture that has a tendency to keep the populace in the dark. I will go as far as saying the media has been an accomplice in this endeavor. I am going to quote the following that I am sure Americans have every right to know particularly those of Jewish descent and of course Israelis.
"It is no secret that Hitler and his Nazi cronies sought inspiration from Indian extremist groups including the branding of his Nazi Party by adopting the Swastika, a traditionally Hindu symbol and representation of Hindu god Ganesha, as its marketing tool. The thesis being that like the Norwegian massacre the Jewish holocaust orchestrated by Hitler was inspired by the inherently violent cult of Indian Hindus and the manifesto of its then extremist/terrorist groups still in existence today. These groups are now the successors to and carrying out the vision of Al Qaeda all over the world albeit in a clandestine manner."
Let me quote another instance of this disgraceful disposition:
It is no secret that Mahatma Gandhi (Hindu leader) was a pedophile. What is very disturbing is his relationship (!) and friendship with Hitler. He is known to have offered advice and encouragement to Hitler and his Nazi Party to undertake the Jewish Holocaust."
NOW HEAR THIS !!!! A few months ago an auction was being arranged in Europe of Gandhi's letters and other artifacts corroborating the foregoing. Apparently, the Indian government with assistance from expatriate Indian businessmen muscled the auctioneers and put a stop to this auction.
Your comment actually doesn't deserve a reply as it is utter bs. Just a question if I may, are you Pakis still angry coz we helped separate Bangladesh and your humiliating surrender during the war ? OK fine we will leave Baluchistan alone but only if you don't mess with us again ok? Meanwhile tell your cricket team to come better prepared well never mind they wont make it to the finals anyway. Have a nice day!
you need to eat pakistani sh!t as they made it to cricket finals. hindu team will now clean toilets in sri lanka for pakistani team as they are now losers. LOL !!!!!
I was following the auction and was to bid on some items. But it was hijacked by Indian Government. MI6 and Mossad were put on alert.
No doubt Gandhi was a boy banger
This happens when you are taught in MAD-r-ASS-a instead of a proper school. May be they even teach you to b@ng your mom as you wife.
Sorry guys I should not have posted the above rant, I am a moron, I wish someone puts a granade up my ass!!!
Joelle is right – it was an amazing interview and I personally think, it must be very very difficult to put the questions right and to insist on getting an answer. Aren't you somehow sweeting, because of so much tension on both sides? Through Fareed's view, I think people get a different opinion – here about Ahmadinedjad in particular. He is a human being, probably not unintelligent, sometimes silent and even shows that there is a view behind. So he is rational and not filled up with "evil" and stereotypes. I'm sure that it is hard work, a kind of bridging meeting with presidents and preparation for diplomatic talks and basing on a form of trust. Well done – should be praised! P.S: Maybe Ahmadinedjad woudn't mind, visiting the Genocide museum in New York with Fareed and Chr. Amandpour? Something called Holocaust was exactly that brute..
Ahmadinejihad is not a human being, he is not an animal, he is a fragment of a variety of cells created from outer space.
Even the ayatollah hates him.
As I watched your interview, a couple of things struck me which I like to comment on. First let me say I think you are a great interviewer and I know from your opinion pieces that you have a good view of world affairs.My two comments are, as relates to the opinion that Zionist have no long lasting connection or standing as far as governmental relations of the cultures of the middle east, Ahmadinejad is right. A bunch of Europeans feeling guilty about the complicity or Europe in the persecution of a religion in the "west" decided to right the situation by giving the "religion" land that belonged to other cultures. This is not to say that Iranian are not given to hyperbolic language, they are, it is not to say that the government of Iran is not bullied into non-democratic action by fanatical thugs that have taken power in Iran, they have... but that is a different issue. On Zionism in the middle east he is correct.
The other thing that I felt compelled to comment on; it has always seemed ironic to me that we react with such horror tot he phase "They want to wipe Israel off the map" as though that means genocide or something, yet with out a second thought that is exactly what the UN the West and Israel have tried and wanted to do since 1947; are succeeding in doing that to Palestine. I look at old maps thought history that go back further than WWII and their on the map in the place where Israel is is the word Palestine... Now we have American and Israeli politicians saying things like, Palestinian culture is made up, they never was a country called Palestine, they don't keep good land records so they never existed... Who wiped who off the map and should we call it genocide?
It was a good interview and you asked good questions. I'm not trying to apologies or make light of the huge humans rights issues and contradiction that are plaguing such a great country and population as Iran and the Persian culture. The world will be a much better place when we stop mixing religion and politics.
Show me anything in your research that shows that only muslim Palestinians existed prior to Israel's creation and I will call you a liar.
I didn't say only "Muslim" Palestinians existed... I said Palestinians existed... there you go again mixing up politics, culture and religion... all three are different things.
Well there you go being a muslim and interpreting things in the only way you can-my way or the highway or I didn't say what I just wrote down, at least I do not remember–must be the Jewish fault.
The name "Palestinian" was a term for Jews, Christians and muslim who lived in parts of Israel.
So, are you now saying that all Palestinians (Jews, Christians and muslims) can live in parts of Israel?
There was no Palestine and no Palestinians 100 years ago. There was a section of Syria that the Brits turned into Palestine. Pro-Nazi sympathizers sparked race riots there and recruited Balkan Muslims into the Waffen-SS. The Jews of Palestine fought that regime and declared independence. Other Arab/Muslim states divided the Palestine that remained. It has always been a war of Muslims against non-Muslims, and it is worldwide.
muslim never worry about history. The just make things up as they go along.
ISSAC, MUHAMMED IS CLUELESS, PALESTINIAN IS A TERM FOR PHILISTINES
The Philistines ( /ˈfɪlɨstiːnz/, /ˈfɪlɨstaɪnz/, /fɨˈlɪstɨnz/, or /fɨˈlɪstiːnz/;[1] Hebrew: פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Plištim), Pleshet or Peleset, were a people who as part of the Sea peoples appeared in the southern coastal area of Canaan at the beginning of the Iron Age (circa 1175 BC), most probably from the Aegean region. According to the Bible, they ruled the five city-states (the "Philistine Pentapolis") of Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath, from the Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north, but with no fixed border to the east.[2] The Bible paints them as the Kingdom of Israel's most dangerous enemy.[2] Originating somewhere in the Aegean,[3] their population was around 25,000 in the 12th century BC, rising to a peak of 30,000 in the 11th century BC, of which the Aegean element was not more than half the total, and perhaps much less.[4]
glmason, I agree with your observations of Fareed's interview with Amadinijad. I think Fareed asked good questions and Ahmadinijad answers were frank and honest. He seemed sincere and not a waco that our media potraits him or Iranian people. Ahmadinijad does not like Zionists but he is not a jews hater......I think he is sincere when he said that in the interview.
Hey, newsflash for the slow of wit: anti-zionism means the same thing in modern PC-speak as what we used to call anti-Semitism. Both refer to a deep hatred of the Jewish people. It has become more fashionable and acceptable these days to talk about exterminating a whole country rather than just the people who inhabit that country.
ahmadinejad isn't right on anything. especially when it comes to ancient history, because even if he was right about their "false claim" it wouldn't matter. in the end, do you think he would care about the claim westerners have to America? nope, not in the war for jihad. doesn't matter what race or religion, because it all belongs to Allah. no wonder they go after the Jews. They're the Chosen people of a religion they dont acknowledge, but no, we're stupid and we believe this is all about jewish intolerance to arabs. When you justify violence, and valid point he had is null.
I think Fareed Zakaria is the best thing since sliced bread and I love his postings.Inspite of being a muslim he is true to his motherland India. He will not post negative stories or news about India, as you may observed. Although India has a population of over 1.3 billion people you wont find any negative news about it as if everything was perfect. Then again, CNN is an instrument of implementing American foreign and we have decided to prop up those countries who do our dirty work.
Let me turn your attention to another aspect of the issue you raise and can relate to.
Taj Mahal (purely by connotation, not size) reminds one of the saying of our dear architect friend Mies Van Der Rohe that “Less is More” and its application to India geo-politically. The recent economic bubble burst and minority backlash in India point to the necessity of imploding India in a controlled manner to make it more manageable administratively, before it ruptures chaotically. The Moghals may have left behind a legacy of regality in India but it was Mies that has given Indians a political concept that may give Indian Hindus a chance at survival albeit in a fragmented form.
Israel with the support of the Zionism is the source of most if not all the world's problem!? Zionism is greed to take other belonging by any means possible including deception, wars, killing and destruction. Just compare past 100 years history of the nations such as US, UK, Israel, France with Iran!? Which country has caused wars, dictatorships, killing and atrocities then judge who is the terrorist!?
No, Zionism is the movement to return the Jewish people to their ancient homeland. The cause for all the conflict in that region is the Arab refusal to accept the existance of the (UN created) Jewish state. The countries around Israel and the non-state military units (PLO< Hezbollah, HAMAS, etc) are the ones that have initiated all the conflicts. Make peace. Accept Israel as a Jewish state. Let the Palestinian people live normal lives instead of dragging them into more poverty, violence, and death.
Who created Taliban? Who created Al-Qaeda (an off shoot of Taliban)? Only a few countries in the world recognized Taliban as legitimate government of Afghanistan in the 80's and 90's(UAE, Pakistan, and Saudi with the support of a few countries in the west i.e. US, UK, FR, etc). Al-Qaeda, Taliban and a few other terrorists groups in the middle east have either been created or supported by a few western countries with the leadership of USA, UK, and Israel to be an excuse to occupy and take over the center of the world's energy in Persian Gulf. This information can easily be supported thru Wikipedia or other sources on line. Actions of these terrorists groups are being orchestrated to provide a pretext and to create an unsafe world to justify wars and occupation, sell more weapons of mass destruction to profit and also control the world major energy source in the middle east. It is the money and subsequent power that rule the events not the Syrian people!?
Its true the US supported jihadis against the Soviet Union, but these relationships have not been maintained and those dogs have bitten the hand that fed them. But, these groups are NOT an excuse, as no excuse is needed. Have you not seen image after image of people all over the world carrying signs like "Behead those who insult the prophet" or "Islam will dominate" or "Democracy go to hell"? These are REAL, their movement is REAL, the threats are REAL. Now, are gov't exploiting these? Maybe...probably, but that doesn't mean we are not engaged in a real conflict.
Why are you feeding again the dogs in Syria. Why your body always needs the teeth of dogs to survive.
Wikipedia
You just blew any chance of anyone believing you when you used "wikepedia" as a source.
We now need to focus on India. The American invasion of Afghanistan brought to the forefront the irrelevance of India as a nation. With a population of over 1.2 billion people there was no value that this nation could bring to the table. Their soldiers (ragtag) 1.2 million continue hiding in the trenches scared from Talibans. A few teenage Talibans invaded the country and held it hostage for days on end showing how useless India is. It was embarrasing for the world to observe this humiliation of a nation that was being touted as a regional power.
Majority of Iranians detest Ahmadinejad & the "Mullahs" as I write there are human rights abuses happening & happen daily in Iran under present regime. Of course, Ahmadinejad can be turned over at times by the Mullahs as well...for while he was in New York his press adviser Ali Akbar Javanfekr was arrested in Iran & for which the President? is not too happy about.
Ahmadinejad said the fighting in Syria should stop so as with Iran's help the people could have an election to vote for who they'd want to be the leader/s. But why should anyone take that kind of advice from this President when he himself cheated the majority of Iranians in the last Iranian election.
One last thing the sanctions are working over there & they might be the Iranian peoples best chance of getting rid of their regime as over the weekend Iran's main auto factory closed & 13,000 people lost their jobs also their currency, the rial dropped to it's lowest ever against the $ Sunday for you'd need 30.000 of them for each dollar & as for gold that's gone up like a rocket. So Mr Obama, keep the sanctions going, for though the people are hurting, they realise they're getting nearer to vanquishing this "Autocratic Regime" of theirs.
See, the problem with that is this: they're hurting and the government tells them that it's all the fault of the US.
The uneductated, demi-human gits eat it up. It's easier to blame someone else for your problems than yourself.
The Government says a lot of things to the Iranians these days..."Who is doing what to who"...but the majority of Iranians today are intelligent people especially the students of the day & they won't take their governments word for anything anymore. They want their basic freedoms & there's no going back...even though their government use every force against the meted out by the IRGC & Basiji's & Morality Police & of course the hard conservative Mullahs who preach God but practice Satan.
And since I wrote that piece on Sunday look at their currency today, in free-fall much further. They may want to keep up the ranting against the West but the Iranian people in the majority, are sick of listening to it, & will not listen to it any more. They want a more tolerant future towards everyone.
My apologies, I meant 1,300 workers laid off in the auto factory that closed down.
Respected Mr. Fareed Jakaria Garu,
IRAN is the 100% democratic country than U S, and tradition was good in front of World Community. Entire ASIA will support to IRAN because Ethics was good. now IRAN was Financially sound than U S.(U S having only Weapons and makeing Dictatory Ship). but IRANS concern, they liberally moved with all Nations. So, U S warnings donot effect to IRAN.
look if you're going to reply to someone or make a comment on this site (or any for that matter), be intelligent, be factual and gor GOD's sake be literate when you write.... Most intelligent people have never taken a course in Dumbinese!
My appologies.... For GOD's sake, not gor GOD's sake.
Heh.
apologies.
Oh, I think it'll affect them when EMP warheads destroy their centrifuges.
Maybe not NOW! But you WILL soon!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahahahh
Iran is ruled by pseudo-moralistic, demagogic mullahs who serve only their own elite clerics and not the people. Ahmadinejihad is merely their mouthpiece and is serving out his last term as president. Both the US and Israel would do well to let Iran's economy become bankrupt, currency become worthless, and people rise up and become a true democracy. No need for bombs or threats of bombs. Just continued, stricter economic sanctions until the economy suffocates. A proud and rich history of Persian culture does not deserve such unenlightened and corrupt leadership.
Ahmadinejad is "president" of Iran in little more than name. His own political status and perhaps life is tenuous. Work from the assumption that he does not believe at least half of what he says.
Completely agree, the man lives in what is considered a shack in Iran.
Im against anyone having nuclear weapons. The fact is there are such creations. Can you give a sound reasoning as to why you need them???
For bullying.
I like to believe we (especially) need them in the unlikely event our country is somehow destroyed, then up from the bottom of the ocean they will come & rain down so no one else remains either.
Ahmadinajad is the only honest ruler in muslim world all others are corrupt and have billions of black money in Switzerland banks. I am afraid if the muslims get one or two honest people what will happen in tjhe west.
Most victims of vilolent crimes are unarmed.
We must all remember also, that right now the US Govt can't criticise any one else's "human rights record" since Bush Jr, and now Obama, are running their own "American Auschwitz", extermination camp against muslims, IE Holocaust against Muslims in Guantanamo Bay, that place should be treated by Courts the same as Nazi Auschwitz, since the goal is the same to destroy an "ethnic group" IE muslims.
Also, the US Govt keeps saying that KSM ( sep 11 suspect ) has confessed to Sep 11, but we must remember this is a case of "Stockholm Syndrome" a hostage under torture for a decade, brainwashed to agree with his captors, and some say he is a hero, simply because it took about 200 waterboardings to force him to confess.
The International Courts must rule whether Waterboarding, etc are legal, if so, then ANY country w/ american prisoners should use it on THEM, but if not legal, then US should be prosecuted!
Ahmad ... the fact is, that Iran has not won a single conflict since Alexander the Great kicked your butt ... and that is 2,300 years ago ... almost as bad as France
Leave France alone, they get a free pass, even for WWII accusations, etc. Why? Because w/o them we wouldn't be a country. They saved our ass in the Revolution. They are the single cause we won. Honor France, always!
I believe that there is very little difference between the ruling cliques of the US or Iran. They commit murder across the ME using their proxies to facilitate their GEO political interest. The US has more citizens in prison than any other country in the world, Iran can’t compete. Where is this so-called Democracy? Free speech is a lie in Iran and the US but each state postures that its version is correct.
The US is as much a police state as is Iran. Just try to demonstrate in New York and see how fast the police crack your head. Thousands have been arrested across the US for demonstrating against the banksters on Wall Street who are supported by Washington’s ruling elites. The same happens in most countries which use state power to subdue their populations.
Does the IAEA inspect in Israel as requested in Iran? Why not? Israel has 100’s of nuclear weapons, Iran has none. Why the hypocrisy? Iran has not attacked a single country but for Israel it seems to be its past time. Iran has been responsible for killing and imprisoning thousands of civilians. How about Israel? How about the US of A? Some Democracies!
Obama and Ahmadinejad are both liars and murderers you people out there in LALA land need to smell the coffee. They both receive their marching orders from higher ups.
Fareed Zakaria you are an intellectual fraud and a brown noser but you are laughing all the way to the bank. Isn’t that the American dream?
This crazy bugger is going to get a lot of innocent Iranians killed
yes, but human life (except his own) means nothing to this pile of cells.
Check your Northern border soon!!!!!!!! Hahahahahahahahaha
Also. Where the heck is your camera man Allahbeensobad???? Oh I know!!!! He defected to the US!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahahaha
Never bluffed ?
How about the day he said USA would face military force if we sent our Aircraft carrier back to the gulf ?
We passed few miles from their territorial waters , nothing happened.... this guy is a joke. Look at him, can not even keep his eyes opened. LOL
IRAN is IR-relevant ! !
The issue of small nations having nukes available is actually a NON-issue. .
WHAT could they DO with such a weapon except commit national suicide ? ?
Even Pakistan could NOT survive the consequences of their using one !
The issue should be abandoned and such nations should be completely ignored ! ! !
Were one of these to slip a nuke to terrorist group and so hide the source, then it would be necessary to take them ALL out ! ! . THAT needs to be made very, VERY clear to them ALL ! ! !
IRAN is IR-relevant ! !
The reason we have the word suicide is because people actually do it.
I think he and his silent leaders may do it if given a chance. They would see it as a chance to Martyr themselves and be elevated in the afterlife above all. In their minds, the rest of the world are the fools who will serve them.
Religious leaders who cultivate their followers with such ideals is formulating a mass suicide of innocent bystanders for theie own ends and what they think is 'Right'. It doesnt matter if they are Muslim, Christian, or what-have-you. It a game played with millions of lives with a selfish driver at the wheel of the bus. This is not the' Free-Will' promised in Religious txt worldwide. This is mental and spiritual slavery.
Because Iran's clerics are insane enough that they just might use such a weapon against Israel in spite of the consequences.
However, the real threat is not necessarily an atomic bomb. A more likely threat would be the Iranian government giving fissile materials to Hamas and their ilk under the guise of it having been "stolen". A dirty bomb would actually be a far more effective device for destruction, requires less material, and less engineering.
I believe it!! Ask his barber!!
Have you all heard that God actually loves everyone? Well, that's actually wrong. God is really angry with everyone... because it is written in the scripture that God is angry with the wicked all day long"... and He hates some. (That means angry as a hornet.) In Romans it says "Issaic have I loved but Essau have I hated." How do you know if God hates you? Well, Jesus loves his sheep. God hates the goats. Jesus said, John 6, that whoever comes to Him he will not cast out. That would mean that if you come to God in humility admitting your sinfulness, God will love you and forgive you. But if you don't, you will most likely respond to God in hostility, which shows where the enmity actually started and why God is just in hating you... and if you don't repent, He will eventually, sooner or later, send you to Hell for eternity... and it could be soon, so don't presume that you'll live to be 80. (By the way, this opportunity to come to Christ is open to all including Jews, Muslims, Iranians, Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians... all.
You're almost as bad as the Muslims. While I don't think you'd throw people who disagree with you into ovens, the assumption that Jesus is the only way to heaven is mind-numbing. The Old Testament, New Testament and Qu'ran were written by human beings. Human beings are ver creative and prone to misinterpretation. You think of faith as certainty. There's nothing to be certain about. If we could all be a little less rigid with our belief systems perhaps we wouldn't be in this awful mess.
That being said, Islam is not a religion; it's a hate-group and should be regarded as such.
It doesn't matter whether or not Ahmadinejad bluffs, he's got no power anyway. Seriously, the man has no power in Iran. Ok, he has some limited power over economic issues but that's it. The clerics above him are the ones with real power. Thus, everything he says really means nothing, but the media and our government will lead you to believe otherwise because it suits their interests...
ahmandinejad has power in that he administer the gov't. ultimately any war would be decided by the clergymen but ahmand his opinions does matter. only a military coupe like generals defecting can the current regime in iran be changed. the generals and army in iran don't really want a war with isreal or US because they know they will lose. Yo udon't fight a losing war.
economic sanctions are hurting the people and the army in iran. Even the iran clergyman and iran clerics know their power is mostly moral authority or religious authority via their religion. The power lies in the army soldiers and generals and pay checks of the soldiers. The economy in iran is queit good right now so any war with isreal or US or any continuation of economic sanctions would increase unemployment in iran and catalyst for military coupe of the current regime like the religiou clerics who refuse to compromise or lower their anti-isreal or anti-US rhetoric or tough talk based on political and religious dogma rather than logic or reason.
This is a great man so humble and so serious. Western politicians may learn a lot from this great president of a great nation. He will not waste his words and time to answer the hungry and angry wolves...Ahmadinajad will probably drag them into the vast land of modern Persia. Does anybody in the forum knows why Persia is the ONLY LAND on this planet that was never redrawn in borders for 3,000 since it was created? I dare anybody to give the correct answer. The people who know why will understand where this great man come from and what happened in Iran in 1979. All those who put their LOL in the air are just ignorant and scared because Persia is rising again. Go-head LOL as much as you can: Ahmadinajad is also laughing loud at your ignorance.
You have to love satire if that it what your comment was supposed to be about. Otherwise, a person who despite facts to the contrary tells the world the holocaust never happened may be a great man more in his own mind than anywhere else.
Doesn't know what he is talking about !!
Always like to create FUSS
http://gadebate.un.org/sites/default/files/gastatements/67/IR_en.pdf
http://gadebate.un.org/67/iran-islamic-republic
This videoclip worth watching,believe me. ^^
I believe the president of iran was misquoted. WHat he really said was, "I NEVER BATHED".
It's actually a great quote for the header, but Ahmandenijad also understands that the world at large doesn't really care about U.S. warnings because there hasn't BEEN ANY IN FOUR YEARS. ONLY APOLOGIES.
Obama: the Islama-Mulatto-Commie-antisocial-apologist-eunuch.
Ahmandenijad = a sand rat.
All sand rats lie and think they are getting away with something.. then the air strikes, the fireworks, the stealth bombers come in and make the sand rat run and hide.
We don't take anything he says seriously, never have and never will. Just bomb Iran into oblivion.
It's uneducated tools like yourself who give other nations the ammunition to hate America. I'm ashamed that our country could produce a racist like you. Go to school, you idiot.
"And even if they do something – and even if they do something, hypothetically, it will not affect us fundamentally." Yeah, OK. I bet a couple of good tactical nukes can change his disease ridden brain!
The current leader of Iran is a deluded sociopath and liar. Saying he doesn't hate Jews, but hates Israel and it should be wiped off the map. That is like saying let's love all Persians, but get rid of Iran. You can't really have 1 without the other. Then there is the fact that whether you like or hate Germany even they admit the holocaust happened yet the current deluded president of Iran thinks otherwise?
He said he doesn't like the gov of Israel not the Jews people..not that hard to understand..there are many Iranian Jews living in Iran peacefully.
laila, you are correct. Many jews live and practice their religion within Iran without harassment. Ahmadinejad has an issue with a certian sect. of Judiasm wich is called zionism. This particular group of jews who practice zionism believe that Israel should significantly expand its geographic borders into the the sourounding areas. Isreal denys it practices this ideological interpretation of Judiasm, but many do not believe them based on the actions that they have taken to move beyond it's original borders that were established in 1948.
Ahmadinejad can't even explain what he means by "zionism" yet alone his interpretation of "zionism". Ahmadinejad has NO communication skills and needs to learn and work on them
sometime you just get a "gut feeling" about someone. I get the feeling that this man is dangerous. Maybe he has fooled me but he just seems too in control of his words. He seems calculating and very confident. Not sure what wil come about over there in the next decade but got a feelng it will be bad.
poker, you are way over-estimating his communication skills and power. He is mostly a pawn to the Ayatolla. He wants a more active and healthy relation with other countries but the Ayatolla is more conservative and wants Iran to be more isolative. What is THE most ironic thing is how both present Iran to the world : It is in profound contridiction to the actual liberal society that they have created for their citizens. Both need to realize that Iran's power is in presenting the reality of their culture and society to the world.
Kevin, You are definitely right. To these there are no bad guys except those who are not them.
The President is just a Face to the public and the world- a a pawn or a puppet. The people are played to and lied to keep them from rising up against them and to keep them from thinking for themselves. I have met serveral Iranian people- they are very nice and very pleasant to share time with over dinner, etc. and most enjoyable to have as a friend.
But if you ask a political stance on something that is not in-line with their leaders, most do not comment – and if they do, they wisper as they lean toward you to tell you what they think about it. Is this of courtesy?- No, I think not. There is something of fear in them for themselves and or their familys well being.
It is true that this dictator laughs at our U.S. policies. Why shouldn't he we have a weak president who is all talk and believes in socialism. This man laughs at the American people for not seeing how weak and pathetic our president is.
It is sad to see a great power like the U.S. be systematically destroyed from within by the Socialists, Obama and his team.
These people will be the down fall of America.
Sounds like Debate time in the United States Socialist Repubic! ( The new USSR)
Q: Mr. Obama, how many Exectutive orders have you made in past 4 yrs in Office?
A: More than all other presidents combined before me, X2 or X3.... ( but who's counting anyway.....)
Q: Mr. Romney, how many Exectutive orders will you revolk from the previous Administration if elected?
A: None. I will probabaly make many more that clamps down on the freedoms of all Americans.( but who's counting anyway.....)
If Ahmadinejad is set on fire but does not burn, he is innocent.
I am not sure what to Tag on this one.... Oh Wait... here is one.
When people of Iran and other countries start favoring their leaders who are deceptive- they should think of this past quote:
“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”.
Adolf Hitler quotes (German Chancellor, leader of the Nazi party, 1889-1945)
anyone heard the saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend well once their gone that friend can become your enemy and this is the case with the taliban.
Fareed – You lost the last round with Ahmadinejad. He was 100% correct on all points and everything he said on his latest interview with you. Iran does not need nuclear weapons to wipe out Israel. The U.S. , Israel, and some of it's allies are not "THE WORLD". The U.S. and Europe are "Bankrupt"! No ticky...no shirty (cannot finance another war...no shekels) and they would be insane to even consider one. My sincere condolences to all American military who have lost their lives in this absurd Bush/Cheney Middle East venture-biggest mistake in American History!
And pigs can fly!
(1) No limits assault to prevent the Ayatollahs from securing newks. (2) Renewed investment and job creation in the oil and gas industries outside of OPECistan. (3) Quarantine of all state sponsors of militant Islam. (4) Case-by-case review and deportation of all Jihadist sympathizers, whether born in the US or immigrants here.
I have no sympathy at all for Zionists or Muslim fundamentalists who want to solve their problems going to war. The majority of Israelis and Muslims want to live in peace but their leaders want to go to war. Why don't they get rid of their inept and idiotic leaders and replace them with those who believe in peace and intelligence.
Everyone lets give it up for Adam one of the most retarded and ignorant post ever .You rock.NOT
Iran activly funneled arms to insurgents who blow up american forces in Iraq.It currently has advisors in support of goverments who fougth against arab spring.This country supports extremist groups who attack western powers.Iran now refuses to have a monitored civilian atomic program meaning there are other intentions.This country has been in a proxy shadow war with Israel fought with terror attacks.Currently this country threatens the gulf straight as a bargaining chip against oil transport. I'm amazed at people who have such a short attention span that a little Amad sweet talking seems to erase all of this.
can someone please explain to me why some countries are allowed to have and build nuclear weapons but others are not? Why India? Why Israel? Why Pakistan? Why USA? who gets to decide?
Ahmadinejad is a hero. Looks like another "misquote" by the zi0nist media.